in other news, police in southern california are searching for a driver who they say played an essential role in a deadly crash. four motorcyclists and a passenger in a car were killed saturday when a car ran head-on into the cyclists. the driver of that car was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence. he says he was forced off the road by another car before plowing into the cyclists. it's the driver of that other car who police now want to find. now to the mysterious disappearance of a family not far from columbus, ohio. one victim, a teenage girl, has now been found alive. tied up in a basement. a man has been charged with her kidnapping. but the rest of the family from the small town of mt. vernon remains missing. chick sivertsen reports on this troubling case. >> reporter: in this house, ten miles from where four people disappeared, police rescued one of them. 13-year-old sarah maynard was in the basement, bound and gagged. >> she was being held against her will. she is in good condition. she was taken to a hospital for

evaluation. >> reporter: and they arrested a suspect, 30-year-old matthew offman. >> matthew is charged with one count of kidnapping. additional charges are expected to be filed. >> reporter: police aren't sure how hoffman is connected to the missing people. neighbors were stunned. >> kind of see cars pulling up, s.w.a.t. team came, then the blast i heard, they blasted the door and went in. >> we did not want to give him time to cause any harm to her. so we did use a tactical team. >> reporter: the fate of sarah's mother, tina, brother cody, and family friend stephanie sprang is unknown. the four disappeared last week from this home where police found an unusual amount of blood. tina's friend stephanie's car was parked in the garage, and late thursday night, tina's empty truck was found on the outskirts of kenyon college. search parties fanned out on foot and planes looked from the skies. despite the gad news, the

mystery of three others missing has yet to be solved. chuck sivertsen, abc news. turning overseas now, where pro-democracy leader aung san suu kyi is speaking out against the predegreesive government of myanmar. the nobel peace prize winner was freed from seven years of house arrest over the weekend. now she's calling for freedom of speech and urging supporters to make their voices heard. president obama calls a new ban on israeli housing in the west bank an important step toward mideast peace. the three-month freeze on construction alives to most areas of the palestinian territories of the west bank but not east jerusalem. mideast leaders want to give palestinians and israelis three months to shape borders of side by side states. in saudi arabia the largest annual muslim pilgrimage is under way. the hajj as four-day event that tracheas 2.5 million people every year. it's a chance for pilgrims to seek forgiveness for their sins and meditate on their faith.

line is helping everyone move around. the u.n. is out with some stunning numbers about the current cholera crisis in hate titt. it says up to 200,000 haitians could contract col cholera before the situation in that country improves. the most recent estimate is more than 900 people have already died in the outbreak, and more than 14,000 have been hospitalized because of the illness. we are getting a new and fascinating look at the impact of recession on american children this morning. the largest to date study on recession shows 15 million children were riffing in poverty in the u.s. last year. compared to 13 million in 2007. the research just released from the university of pittsburgh shows one in five american kids is living in poverty. sports news now, the cowboys/giants game went a little longer than usual because of two brief power outages in the third quarter. maybe the giants' fans were responsible, though, because their team was getting crushed. the cowboys got a first win for

interim head coach jason garrett. qb jon kitna threw three touchdown passes in the 33-20 win. if only our buddy willis was here this morning to hear all about a rabid giants fan, losing to a 1-7 team, ouch. >> i'm happy about the cowboys. rainy from houston to the carolinas. showers around dallas and oklahoma city. rain with up to half a foot of snow. showers in the pacific northwest. >> 55 in seattle. 46 in billings. 50 in albuquerque. 39 in minneapolis. 55 in kansas city. 53 in chicago. 50s from boston to baltimore. sunny and 80 in miami. it takes a lot to steal the spotlight in vegas. >> thousands of people were captivated over the weekend by aviation nation, one of the biggest air shows in the country. the air force's famous thunderbirds headlined the event with a mesmerizing demonstration

of aerial prowess. >> more than 100 airplanes were on display. everyone was invited to climb into the cockpit and check them out. kids getting a chance to do that, it's so cool. >> i've been in one of those, real cool. we'll be right back. if you fight to sleep in the middle of the night, why go one more round ?

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♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] every day thousands of people are switching from tylenol® to advil. to learn more and get your special offer, go to takeadvil.com. take action. take advil®. overseas now to africa where a retired couple is free this morning after being held hostage by pirates for more than a year. >> while the journey home now begins, so does the story of just how they were released after 389 days. the bbc's andrew harding reports. >> reporter: in safe hands at last. and no pirates in sight. the chandlers arriving early

this morning to a small town in central somalia. not out of danger. a medical checkup for rachel. remarkably composed. that goes for both of them. >> well, we're fine wide receiver we're rather skinny and bony. but we're fine. >> reporter: the journey home has complications. their small plane was diverted to somalia's notorious capital. out of the frying pan, into mogadishu. we're now in convoy with the chandlers. we're now heading into the city, the presidential palace, for a meeting there. it is frankly a very dangerous road, very risky, and very unnecessary for the chandlers who simply want to get out of

somalia as quickly as possible. two decades' worth of rubble. but the exhausted chandlers comply graciously with the demands of somalia's besieged government. >> we're desperate to see our family and friends. >> reporter: andrew harder from the bbc. >> pleased to meet you. >> reporter: you must be very tired. >> we are indeed. >> reporter: take a few moments of your time. when rescue finally came for you, what was your reaction? >> almost it's too good to be true. >> reporter: what was the worst time during these last 13 months? >> we refused to be separated and we were beaten as a result.

and that was very traumatic. >> reporter: with that, it's back on what chandler jokingly calls the airport bus. the guns quiet. wielding a camera and a smile, they could almost be tourists. giddy with freedom. but they're quick to get back on their plane, knowing this really is the last leg. good-bye to somalia, to its pirates, and to the many here who have helped the chandlers to find safety. andrew harding, bbc news, mogadishu. >> it's frightny, this is a lot lice isolated than people think. these pirates have captured more than 20 ships and have more than 500 hostages. these are just two. >> friends and family raised that $430,000. >> exactly. when we return, jessica simpson and the big ring on her finger. and the former president now appearing in the "hangover" sequel. that and more in "the skinny." whatever you're going through, we're here to listen...

to provide help and hope when you need it most. visit your life your voice dot org for e-mail and live chat, or call anytime 1-800-448-3000 (tdd#1-800-448-1433). it's your life. it's your voice. use it.

welcome back, everybody.

good news to share about jessica simpson this morning. she is back in love, the ring's on the finger, she's getting engaged, and she's all very happy. good news that came out. "people" magazine is reporting jessica simpson is going to marry her nfl free agent boyfriend and now fiance, eric johnson. he is 31, she is 30. they've been together since may. strikes me as a quick engagement. some people questioning the timing saying, a few days ago her ex-husband, nick lachey and his new girlfriend announced they were getting engaged, a few days later, jessica and herman come out saying they're going to tie the knot as well. seems like a good guy. 6'3". went to yale. been an athlete since he was young. played for the saints, the 49ers. now he and jessica will be husband and wife. >> the other interesting detail is in addition to only being together five months, jessica and him, he's also very recently divorced. >> oh. rebound?

>> i don't know. i think it's -- vanessa did just get engaged to her ex-husband, so that has to sting. i hope the best for jessica but it does seem a bit early. >> she's a sweetheart. i hope. from your home state. >> we said this before we went to break, a former president is going to be on "the hangover 2." multiple sources are reporting bill clinton tape adam i don't. so get this, he's giving a speech in thailand. if you followed him at all this past couple of weeks, he was giving a speech on clean energy. in addition to tmz and "people," they're reporting clinton will play himself in "the hangover 2." they say he was in the city to deliver that speech and they found out he was on the set, extra security was added for his presence, no one's saying what is the character though. >> i think it's very cool. you know, humanitarian works, lighten up a little bit and get into "the hangover." that's kind of cool, a former president. >> there's speculation, could he have just been hanging out? some people are saying maybe it's not a cameo. others are saying, no, it's a

cameo. there was a scene with a rickshaw, they're saying he might have been in that scene. >> we will see. >> yeah. >> that's going to be a fun combo. of course we remember the woman rachel uchitel, the first of tiger's miss stresses to come out there, the first one in his down warm spiral. believe it or not it was last thanksgiving, the car accident. it's kind of crazy. she's giving her first interview since this all broke. she spoke to "the mail" sunday from her oceanfront balcony in malibu. "people have called me all sorts of names but they don't know me. i'm not the same as the other girls. i never, ever imagined in my wildest dreams i would be caught up in a scandal like this. if things had been different and 9/11 had never happened my life would have taken a different course. i'd be fat and happy living in a big house in long island with a load of kids. and learn the truth about me." so her first interview in this set. she's speaking out. i never meant to hurt anybody,

my life so is different because of 9/11 when her fiance was killed. addicted to pills, addicted to love as well. >> we only have ten seconds. we're going to let you listen to the last ten seconds, the new official duet with michael jackson and akon. ♪ n honking. a short time ago, this woman suffered from

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here are some stories to watch today on abc news. heart specialists meeting in chicago today released new recommendations on salt consumption. they say if teens cut salt intake by 3,000 milligrams a day they could significantly cut risks of heart problems as adults. retail sales figures from last month are released today, it's an important gauge of the economy. facebook's new e-mail program could be unveiled today. analysts predict the web mail service could pose a threat to google's gmail. a wonderful homecoming tale sure to make your heart dance. >> earlier this month the american ballet theater gives its first performance in cuba in

decades. it is significant for many reasons. >> for one dancer it met the world. jim sciutto has more from havana. >> reporter: the american ballet's performance was its first in cuba in 50 years. but for one dancer it was something even more. >> it feels really, really like a homecoming. heartwarming and ins spiring. >> reporter: she fled cuba for the u.s. 18 years ago with her family. back when a trip to america was almost always a one-way journey. but then president obama ended the bush-era ban on cuban-americans visiting relatives last year. flights like hers now fly several times a day. still, few passengers get a welcome like this from loyal fans, old friends and family left behind. and young dancers at her old school looking to follow in her dancesteps. >> they are very proud. as i am proud of them.

>> reporter: this is part of a wider cultural opening. jazz musician winston marsalis performed here. and a cuban musician was allowed to attend the grammy awards. this is the same hall where the cuban-american soldiers captured in the 1961 bay of pigs invasion were held. now it has americans dancing ballet. you can call it ballet diplomacy. as opening night approached, the new openness gave way to old-fashioned nerves. >> we want it to be perfect. >> reporter: and perfect it was. for the company and for one young cuban coming home. jim sciutto, abc news, havana. >> wow. >> it really is amazing to see so much openness to cuba, where for so long we hadn't seen any until president obama lifted the interactions. >> a long-awaited change in relation to that country. did you ever have ballerina dreams as a young girl, vinita? >> probably too tall and too heavy.

no dreams for me. >> get out of here. i do not believe that. it was good to see them in there was the explosion. and i remember just opening my eyes, and it got both of my legs. i had surgery after surgery, you know, "what's going to happen next?" the wounded warrior project said, "look, brother, "everything's going to be okay. "three months from now "or four months from now, "a year from now, you'll be fine." i don't know if i would be as well adjusted as i am now if it wasn't for them. to learn more, call... or visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

major break. the suspect in the disappearance of an ohio family and the teenager found alive. capitol conflict. back to work for congress. the big battle now facing both parties. and, tasty treat. so many varieties of chocolate. >> chocolate goes with absolutely everything. and the chocolate show is certainly proof of that. >> so little time. it's monday, november 15th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> always a good week when there's going to be some chocolate on the set. >> love it. >> that's all.

>> we have to have it. >> we will have some. good morning, everybody, i'm rob nelson. >> i'm vinita nair. we begin with the latest developments in a disturbing case from ohio. a young kidnap victim has been found alive. three others still remain missing. >> police in the small town of mt. vernon hope a man already under arrest will provide some answers. with more now, here's linsey davis. >> reporter: 13-year-old sarah maynard is alive. a s.w.a.t. team found her bound and gagged inside the basement of this home near columbus, ohio. >> that is good news. it's scary because i live right there. >> reporter: police say this man, 30-year-old matthew hoffman, was taken into custody and charged with kidnapping. >> my friend dated him. she just broke up with him two weeks ago. he had choked her. she had marks on her where he had checked her. >> reporter: police say they don't know how hoffman is connected with the family.

sarah was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. the rest of her family is still missing. >> we were hopeful we would find more than one. but our information was definitely that it was most likely sarah was going to be in that house. >> reporter: no one has heard from her 11-year-old brother cody, her mother tina herman, or family friend stephanie sprang, to several days. wednesday afternoon tina didn't show up for work at dairy queen. thursday, both her children were absent from school. tina didn't show up at work again. her manager went to tina's house. inside, he found beer cans and blood. then called police. investigators believe hoffman is the key to finding the others. linsey davis, abc news, new york. seven people are dead after a powerful explosion at a popular mexican resort. investigators say a buildup of natural gas from a nearby swamp may have caused the blast. the force sent the floor through the ceiling and blew out windows in nearby restaurants. the victims were two mexican

workers and five canadian tourists including a father and his 9-year-old son. a retired couple is free after being held hostage for more than a year by pirates. paul and rachel chandler were kidnapped last october off the somali coast on a six-month sailing vacation. that started 388 days as prisoners. when they were released they said they were thin and tired but otherwise okay. >> so happy to see everyday people. people from everywhere in the world who are in the imprisoned. because we've lived a year with criminals. >> reporter: friends and relatives of the chandlers reportedly raised more than $400,000 for their release. they said that despite being scared at times they never really thought their lives were actually in danger. the president is back in washington after his ten-day trip to asia. but there is no rest for the weary.

now mr. obama faces a republican challenge over tax cuts. david kerley reports from the white house. >> reporter: a more reflective president returned to washington, admitting on air force one that his concentration on policy issues led to his shellacking in the midterms. >> in that obsessive focus on politics, i neglected some things that matter a lot to people, and rightly so. >> reporter: returning with disappointing results negotiating with asian allies, the president must now negotiate with a lame duck congress on those expiring tax cuts. >> i don't think there's any room to negotiate on raising taxes, particularly on smaller businesses. i hope we can get a permanent extension. >> reporter: even though the president has long called for letting the tax cuts for the rich expire -- >> we can't afford to borrow another $700 billion to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. >> reporter: there are signs that the white house may give in to republican demands and agree, at least to a temporary extension for the rich -- or --

>> what if we moved it up to $1 million? everyone below $1 million will get a tax cut but millionaires and billionaires won't. >> reporter: it's not just tax cuts facing the lame duck session. there are calls to ban earmarks, budget items directed to members' districts. lifting the military's don't ask, don't tell policy for gay service members. and a vote on a strategic missile deal with russia. that was the subject of mr. obama's last meeting in asia with his russian counterpart. the past four days have been packed with meetings. little time for sightseeing. the president was asked what he will tell republican leaders at their meeting later this week. he says he'll remind the republicans that governing is different than campaigning and that the american public did not give republicans a mandate for gridlock. david kerley, abc news, the white house. it could be a major step toward mideast peace. mr. obama is praising government leaders in israel for moving forward. they've now imposed a three-month ban on building new

israeli housing in palestinian areas of the west bank. the sensitive areas in east jerusalem, though, are not part of the construction freeze. the ban may give palestinian and israeli leaders a chance to draw new borders of two states which many world leaders say could lead to peace finally in that region. at least five people were killed after a militant attack on nato troops in eastern afghanistan. no nationalities have been released but the majority of those serving in the area are americans. this morning we have a rare look at what it is like to fight in one of those afghanistan most foreboding battle zones. here's mike bet cher. >> reporter: at 8,000 feet in afghanistan's eastern mountains the air is thin and so is cover from an enemy ambush. >> jingo down. jingo up. >> reporter: a small team of soldiers from the 101st famed brigade is hunting for taliban that attacked a u.s. convoy. led by their squadron commander, lieutenant colonel steve lutsky, the hunters become the hunted. the initial insurgent barrage momentarily pins down the u.s. unit on a barren mountainside.

it pins us down, too. we're behind some cover but not much. the sergeant radios in the unit's position. one second later, a bullet misses his head. they fire a heavy barrage into a grove of small trees where the taliban is concealed. that is ended it. the soldiers returned without a casualty to combat outpost wilderness, a base that has seen more than its share of the tough end of this war. in late august, two soldiers were killed by an ied. 27 of their number have been wounded in action. most since mid-august. bravo troop's casualty rate approaches 50%, extraordinary number. what keeps you going? >> our guys. our family here. >> reporter: young soldiers turn to the elders of this war-time

family, their sergeants. kind of like being a parent all over again. they look at you, they look to you for everything you do. >> reporter: so in spite of their loss, or maybe because of it, the rockesans continue to hunt for the insurgents who hurt so many of their buddies. they do it for the family. a promise from the men still standing to those who have fallen. mike boettcher, abc news, combat wilderness, afghanistan. a store in buffalo, new york, never had customers like this before. several deer smashed through the windows of a wegman's supermarket yesterday morning. employees and customers sure got a scare but no one was hurt. the deer all eventually got out the same way they got in. >> they didn't steal anything to eat, did they. >> should have. here's a look at your weather. rain and mountain snow in colorado, wyoming, montana, and the dakotas. snow in the cascades. showers in spokane and seattle. up to 3 inches of rain along the gulf coast drenching houston, new orleans and mobile. >> meanwhile, 62 in atlanta.

upper 50s in new york. mostly 50s from kansas city to detroit. 78 in sacramento. 55 in seattle. 50 in salt lake city. we all know the wallflower that is shaquille o'neal. he's a man many talents. basketball player and all-around funny man around them. >> shaq got the serious task of toy shopper to his hefty resume. lending a helping hand yesterday to, what else, toys for tots. >> everything he picked up will be distributed to children during the holiday season. something nice to kick off the spirit of the season in shaq style. apparently he was calling himself shaq-a-claus. >> that is a big dude. >> if you see a 7'1" man going from aisle to aisle, i think you probably just run in fear. take whatever toys you want, they're all yours. he picked up something like $5,000 of toys, great for kids. >> good for him. we'll be back with more after this.

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why go one more round ? you don't need a rematch, but a rethink. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. stop fighting with your sleep. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a co-pay as low as zero dollars

at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. i was upset that willis is off this morning. gloating. >> a lot of gloating. the giants did lose last night. he's licking his wounds after the joins got destroyed by the cowboys unexpectedly last night. it is time for our weekly nfl highlights. >> great as always. well, we start with what is being called the futility bowl. the lions visiting the winless bills. winless they are no more. no, not after fred jackson rolled for 133 yards and two touchdowns. the bills, yes, the bills win it 14-12. it was detroit's 25th straight

loss on the road. that is a sad little nfl record. >> no kidding. moving on, titans were visiting miami who had not won a game at home all season. miami used three quarterbacks in the game, starting with chad pennington, lasted all of two plays, chad henne suffered knee injury. they still got the job done. dolphins pull one out, 29-17. >> texans and jaguars appeared to be going into overtime until jags qb dave garrard threw up a 50-yard prayer as the clock ran out. caught for a game-winning touchdown. thomas, the smallest player on the team, makes jacksonville's biggest play of the season. jacksonville wins 31-24. >> and finally, the new england patriots went to pittsburgh in a bad mood and they made the steelers pay for it. qb tom brady threw three touchdown passes and ran for another. the steelers fans went home early with good reason. final score last night, patriots pulled this one out 39-26.

it really wasn't even that close. >> i hope tom brady goes and gets a haircut. so where does all of this put us in our competition? >> not pretty this week. willis is still out front. get this, our own vinita -- >> whoo-hoo! >> now in sole possession of second place. she's been picking the home teams, second place. jack and i had a tough week. diane slowly making progress. the field is spreading out. >> by the numbers, willis stands at 17-7. home teams have me at 16-8. rob, you and jack, tough week is right. you guys are just a game ahead of diane now. >> that is so sad. whatever. tonight on monday night football, eagles visit the redskins. great matchup there. 8:30 p.m. eastern time on espn. >> jets continue to play the role of road warriors. their 26-20 overtime win in cleveland was their eighth

straight regular season win away from home. it's like reading another language for me every single week. >> something to look forward to next sunday, a great nfl rivalry renewed. the 6-3 colts visit the now 7-2 patriots. >> that game will be among our games to pick for next week. you can find out the others on friday morning. >> i'm probably more upset that willis is in first place for the second week in a row. you picking home teams, you're in second. >> it goes to show you, gentlemen, you shouldn't gamble. >> no kidding, i'll turn it around. turning the big apple into the chocolate cap actively the world. >> stay tuned, we've got a sweet treat for you. thank you dear, very much.

let's turn over this log. yeah! both: whoa! i like the big black ones. i like the brown wiggly ones. mmm. i like the green crunchy ones myself. whoa. explore nature. there are surprises everywhere. go to discovertheforest.org. as journalists there are some assignments we wouldn't

wish upon our worst enemies. but this story ain't one of them. >> over the weekend we sent one of our intrepid young staffers, jake henderson, to check out the 13th annual new york chocolate show. and let us tell you -- >> thumbs up. >> it was a sweet assignment. >> mmm-mmm. >> this is the place to come to. because there are people who can teach you how to make chocolate, how to buy chocolate, how to use chocolate, how to use chocolate, go to a demonstration and learn a lot of things. >> i have been emceeing and hosting the new york city chocolate show this year. one of the interesting things about the chocolate show is you're seeing artisans from around the world coming to the chocolate show in new york city, showcasing their chocolate. i think one of the things the chocolate show teaches everybody who comes here is not just to purchase the big bag of chocolate, just put it in your mouth. you really get to really appreciate how to eat chocolate,

how to enjoy it, what are the percentages of chocolate you should eat. we've had a chocolate fashion show to start off the entire event where we've actually had designers, clothing designers and chocolate artisans, come together to make clothing out of chocolate. >> here is my dress that my model wore. she has bugs and spiders and butterflies and flowers. she has this huge boa constrictor, albino bow washes made out of rice crispies and chocolate. >> americans, as creative as we are, we're starting to make a lot of creative mixes of chocolate. this is something kids probably would absolutely love. if you love peanut butter and jelly, this is the way you eat a chocolate bon bon. that is good. it almost feels like chocolate goes with absolutely everything. the chocolate show is certainly proof of that. >> one of the ones that we do that's really unique, i think, is mexican mango. it was based on a way of eating fruit where you would take salt, lime, and heat, chili powder, and put that on the fruit. what we did is made a chocolate

that has a layer of milk chocolate ganache with lime and salt, a layer of mango, and the salt is sea salt infused with green chilies and habaneros. >> something unexpect at a chocolate show. i would never imagine they could create couture gowns out of chocolate. and these incredible trains. you can buy some of the best chocolate you've ever had. i'm here at the chocolate show demonstrating how to make my fudgy, salty peanut butter brownies. this is my second year at the show, first time doing a demo. last year i got to come as a guest, and i had so much fun. do a demo, teach people hue to make these amazing chocolate brownies. >> i think it's great. we're having a wonderful time. tears a lot of chocolate. the tastings are terrific. the fondue was very good too. >> thank you, rob and vinita. and don't forget, chocolate is its own food group.

>> jace henderson brought back a lot of different things to happen. this one is a chocolate peanut butter fudge brownie. this is something that you might have heard of but there's a good chance you've never seen a peanut butter and jelly truffle. a truffle or just a candy? it's a truffle, okay. you can see it. i cut it open on the top so you can see it. there's a little touch of jelly. >> you can see that. >> there's really cool flavors. >> oh, yeah. this is the apple pie. this is the apple-tini. there are a few other good ones here. you had the jalapeno in it right here with the spicy chocolate kick. what are some other ones down here? anything really good? >> i think you covered them. >> covered the highlights here. >> the cool thing is this show was founded in '97. they have really branched out. you're always hearing about certain flavor profiles like fondue or spiciness in chocolate. it's cool to see a show that

just celebrates chocolate. >> this is actually fondue to go right here. do you want to dip your strawberry? >> you know i'm not very clingy. i'll try this brownie. >> a very romantic epbody of "world news now."

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"world news now" delivers your "morning papers." >> you know, they say children given sugar, it's like a.d.d., they can't focus. it's happening right now on the set. >> man. so if you've ever watched one of those shows with animals, i've on then thought, what happens when they sedate an animal if the sedation process is not successful? well, this is it. it involves a hippo and a vet. take a look at what's happening. this guy had just put a sedative on a 3 1/2 ton hippo when it awoke and lunged towards him. they say the vet was hurled into the water. it was inches from that huge hippo's teeth. a hippo, it's possible to snap a

ten-foot crock detail in half. they say with seconds to spare one of his colleagues pulled him to safety. nothing was happening. the guy was not hurt. but -- >> lucky dude. >> they're saying they think the water is what might have woken him up. so in the future, there is a lesson here, should you sedate a hippo, put a muzzle on it. >> my mom told me the same thing. very good advice there. here in new york we all take the subways regularly. you hear voices in the subway about, please step away from the platform. the "new york times" did a feature on cowan hopkins, who's been the voice of subways and airports for the last 15 years. she's the voice we hear as wear traveling. not only does she do airports, she's on subway systems in chicago, washington, paris, hotels in beirut, lebanon, china, korea. she's never actually herself been on a subway since 1957. take a listen. >> local train 2.

ladies and gentlemen, the next brooklyn-bound local train is now arriving. please step away from the platform edge. >> a very familiar voice to probably many folks in major cities around the country airports and around the world. she herself has not been on is a subway since 1957. >> that's why she doesn't sound irritated when she announces that. had she been on a subway any time recently she'd be like, your ride is going to be here in three minutes, good luck. >> making that money. >> another sort of he is son. first we're telling you don't sedate a hippo and stick your hands in front of it. don't rob a store and have a vanity plate on your car with your name on it. this woman basically walks inn a rite-aid, pretends she has a gun, it was never a gun but you can see she's covered, there's no problem. someone in the parking lot recognizes the getaway car, calls police, and says the car has b-usher on its license plate. and there's bonnie usher. 43 years old.

that's a mock-up of the plate we did. not the smartest thing to do in terms of a getaway car. man on radio: mission is a go. woman on p.a.: dr. craddox, you have a visitor in the main lobby. you ready to go home today? girl: definitely. let's take a look. this year, more than 27,000 children will be diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition. you are good to go. through the course of their treatment,

many of them will miss school. many of them will miss spending time with their family and friends. so, have you made your decision yet? yeah, i think so. [ singing ] and many will simply miss being a kid. here we go. but you can lift their spirits and give them a special kind of hope. there are thousands of wishes waiting to come true. you can make it happen. find out how today at wish.org. [ flippers slapping ]

hotel hell. the fatal explosion at a resort hotel in mexico. the victims and the investigation. found alive. a teenager is recovered but now the all-out search for her missing relatives. and, "insomniac theater." denzel washington's on board with an action flick. and hollywood's take on morning news. >> who do you think the public would rather hear from last? someone who's won every broadcast award on the face of the planet? or the former miss pacoima? >> it's monday, november 15th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now."

>> a movie near and dear to your heart, at least what we do every morning. >> wouldn't you just love it if the hollywood perception of what our job is, it just seems so much easier when you see it on a movie. >> but it's not, though. >> it is an interesting movie so stick around. >> next to the facebook movie this was probably my favorite. a nice little distraction this weekend. it was not bad. >> good morning, everybody, i'm rob nelson. >> i'm vinita nair. a buildup of natural gas is being blamed for a huge explosion that moved through a popular mexican resort south of can cue. >> seven were killed drug five canadian tourists, one of them a 9-year-old boy. witnesses say the blast was so powerful it hurled the floor of the building through the ceiling. ctv's omar is in playa del carm carmen. >> reporter: the force of the explosion scattered debris across the lawn of the luxury hotel and sent guests running in

panic. paramedics arrived soon afterwards and performed triage at the scene. the blast happened just as many guests were sitting down for breakfast. >> where we were sitting, the whole restaurant is kind of a half inch plate glass wall all the way around. there was a very large, loud bang. then seconds later, just -- the windows had blown in and shattered everywhere. >> reporter: one eyewitness said at first many worried it was a terrorist attack. >> everyone shared the same fear. you know, the fear is was this deliberate? so when we started hearing that it was an accident, everyone was quickly latching on to that as a means of comfort. >> reporter: the grand princess riviera hotel is a popular tourist destination. it's estimated about 50% of the hotel's 2,000 guests were canadian. >> this part of the hotel is very close to the beach. it's the premium, or what they call the platinum lounge and lobby and restaurant area. it's more of an exclusive area. that's where this has happened. >> reporter: this ontario man

recently returned from the resort. he said he noticed a strong smell of natural gas when he was there. >> it was always kind of a pungent smell of -- smelled a little bit like sulfur, rotten eggs, whatever. in the air in and around the kitchen area. >> reporter: foreign affairs says it's moniteitoring the sce closely and issued a statement saying, the government of canada extends sympathies to the families and friends of those who lost their lives. >> that again was ctv reporting from mexico. a british couple says they are skinny and tired but happy to be free after more than a year of captivity in somalia. paul and rachel chandler were captured by pirates off the somali coast last october. they were on a six-month vacation at sea. friends and relatives reportedly raised $430,000 for their release. in political news, lawmakers returned to capitol hill later today for a looming battle over tax cuts. two prominent republicans conceded sunday the best they might be able to accomplish is a

short-term continuation of the current tax rates. the white house says a permanent extension for wealthy americans will be could costly. both sides say they are willing to fight. >> i don't think there's any room to negotiate on raising taxes, particularly on smaller businesses. i hope we can get a permanent extension. >> we can't afford to borrow another $700 billion to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. >> the president will sit down with republicans later this week to discuss the issue of taxes. the incoming freshman class of tea partyers was lining up for battle and making some interesting alliances along the way on one major issue in particular. here is senior washington editor rick kline. >> it won't take long to play out. in fact, the first month in the tea partyers' battles with the establishment will come this week in a vote on earmarks and whether to ban those special projects lawmakers so often insert in spending bills. members of both parties use them and some members of republican

leadership, most notably the senate minor leader, mitch mcconnell, want to keep that in place. but that is a nonnegotiable proposition for virtually all tea partyers. they have an unlikely ally in president obama, who has endorsed an earmark ban on his own. it's going to be quite the fight to see play out in the house and senate. >> also on the agenda in the house the ethics committee opens the trial of new york democrat charles rangel. rangel is expected to present his own distance. and turning now to haiti where a desperate move is under way to teach citizens how to fight the cholera crisis. including good hygiene as well as proper food preparation. the latest estimate now is that more than 900 people have already died touring this outbreak and more than 14,000 have been hospitalized. the u.n. says up to 200,000 haitians could contract cholera before this situation improves. the british hold their version of veterans day on sunday. closest to november 11th, the day world war i ended. the royal family is always a

part of the remembrances and this year one of them went all the way to afghanistan to mark the occasion. lama hasan has details. >> reporter: prince william touched down in afghanistan, visiting british troops and u.s. marines. >> good morning, sir. >> how are you doing? >> reporter: he paid tribute to all the servicemen and women fighting on the front lines. and on this day of remembrance, honoring those killed in war zones and past conflicts, including two of his colleagues. a soldier, sailor and an airman, william is a qualified military helicopter pilot. known in the royal air force as flying officer wales. only last month, william said that he wants to follow in the footsteps of his brother harry and one day serve in afghanistan. >> and i still have hope and faith and real determination to go out there. >> reporter: but for the second in line to the throne, he might

not get the chance to do that. because it is simply too dangerous. remember when harry was with his unit fighting for his country in western helmand province a couple of years ago. coming under daily attacks from the taliban. his deployment was cut short when word got out. harry still hopes he'll return again soon. but for prince william there may be other pressing obligations. such as a wedding announcement. to his long-term girlfriend, kate middleton. don't forget they have been dating for eight years, eight very long years. lama hasan, abc news, london. now here is a look at your monday forecast. heavy rain along the gulf coast from houston to mobile. lighter rain from birmingham and nashville to the carolinas. rain and mountain snow from colorado and montana into the dakotas. rain from seattle to spokane. >> 54 in boise. 50 in salt lake city. 75 in phoenix. fargo and the twin cities hover

around 40. 50s from omaha up to detroit. and much of the northeast. meanwhile, 75 in the big easy. a new england family is taking life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness all the way to the bank. >> they just sold a rare copy of the declaration of independence at an auction for $380,000. the document is a broad side which is a large sheet of paper used for posting notices back in the 1700s. >> this one you're seeing belonged to an 18th century new hampshire judge. it was one of 200 copies carried throughout the colonies. most of them were eventually torn down and thrown away. how cool is that. >> no kidding, god bless america. we'll be right back with more. let me tell you about a very important phone call i made.

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welcome back. now to a mystery unraveling in a small ohio town. it began with a family disappeared without a trace last week. >> now the family's 13-year-old girl has been found, bound and gagged in a basement. still no word on the where the rest of the family is. "american landscape" coverage from wsyx in columbus. >> we begin tonight with breaking news in the search for a missing family. 13-year-old sarah maynard is back home with her father tonight after she was found in a mt. vernon home. >> she was in the basement. she was bound and gagged. >> tonight, 30-year-old matthew hoffman faces charges for the kidnapping and investigators are hoping he can provide information on the missing boy and two women who haven't been seen since wednesday. good evening. i'm carrie sullivan. today, stunning developments cap off an agonizing five-day search

that has left investigators with more questions than answers. abc 6 is working every angle of this story including new information on the suspected kidnapper. we begin with mary in knox county. >> reporter: after five days of searching, knox county sheriff's deputies finally find 13-year-old sarah maynard alive. >> she was bound and gagged. >> reporter: in the basement of matthew hoffman's home on columbus road in mt. vernon. sheriff david barber says the s.w.a.t. team raided his house around 8:00 a.m. >> we were hopeful we would find more than one. but our information was definitely that -- was most likely sarah was going to be in that house. >> reporter: her mom tina, brother kody, and neighbor stephanie sprang are still missing. >> we're optimistic. we're trying to remain optimistic. >> reporter: sheriff barber says this is still considered a missing persons investigation. but that's about all he'll say about the case. >> for investigative reasons,

because we still have -- we have to put the case together. >> reporter: as for hoffman's role in their disappearance -- >> at this time, we don't know how he's connected to the family or whether he connected himself to the family. >> reporter: decks still have a lot of questions for him, including getting a sample of his dna as the bci labs start processing the blood found in the king beach drive home and the other evidence gathered over the past couple of days. hoffman's neighbors along columbus road say he moved into the home where the girl was found about a year ago. people we talked with say he has a history of troublesome behavior. our team coverage continues now with abc 6's shelby costo. >> everybody's always known that he's not right. >> reporter: heather and other neighbors watch as deputies remove evidence from 30-year-old matt hoffman's house. hoffman was arrested at his home on columbus road, charged with kidnapping. 13-year-old sarah maynard was rescued from hoffman's

wastement. investigators say she was bound and gagged. >> my heart breaks for her, what she's been through. are i'm glad she's alive. i know kids are resilient. i've been praying for her. >> reporter: heather has lived near hoffman for years. she says his girlfriend recently broken up with him. she's known him in the past to be cruel to animals. she's also noticed bizarre behavior at his home. >> we've always known he's been really weird. he's really creepy. he like peeks through his blinds a lot. he just -- he has really paranoid behavior. >> reporter: tonight matthew hoffman is charged with one count of kidnapping but additional charges are expected to be filed. we did some digging tonight and found hoffman has a lengthy criminal history. abc 6 investigator chris colburn joins us with that side of the story. >> court records show hoffman was convicted of setting fire to a steamboat springs, colorado, condo complex ten years ago. we want to show you a mug shot you haven't seen yet of hoffman

from that arrest a decade ago. investigators say he used ten gallons of gasoline to light the condo fire. it caused almost $2 million in damage and forced 16 people out of their homes. the fire was apparently set in an attempt to cover up an earlier burglary. hoffman was convicted on several charges and sentenced to eight years in prison. earlier tonight i was able to speak with a sergeant out in steamboat springs who remembers several run-ins with hoffman. the sergeant tells me hoffman never really struck him as particularly aggressive, and doesn't remember him resisting arrest. we'll continue to dig into hoffman's past and let you know what we find. >> of course a lot more questions than answers in the case so far. hopefully some more details will come out today. he is set for a bond hearing later this morning. >> i think one of the things authorities are saying that's also especially alarming, the amount of blood that was found in sarah's mother's home. of course, it's still a missing persons case but this has been a

very bizarre one to watch play out. >> odd to hear the neighbors describe his bizarre and creepy behavior. this story far from over, clearly. coming up next, the landmark store that burned not once but two by two,♪ ♪hurrah, hurrah ♪the ants go marching two by two, hurrah♪ ♪itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout,♪ ♪down came the rain and washed the spider out,♪ ♪out came the sun and ♪ ♪ ♪...three blind mice ♪three blind mice applause

raising $100,000 in donations for repairs. >> reporter: and this time it was arson. >> i felt kicked. it was such a slap in the face. >> reporter: there was a moment to grieve but not a moment of doubt. so how did you get the energy to do it all again? >> it was the community, really. >> reporter: for the second time in less than a year, the town started looking for grants and raising money.

>> it's a very cool organization. >> reporter: they all chipped in. the town lumberyard donating wood. >> when they do rebuild it this time are there going to be any special considerations for the viagra club? >> we hope so. a special lounge. >> reporter: they've raised more than $1 million in donations and just broke ground a few weeks ago. do you feel unlucky, do you feel cursed? >> no, i feel really lucky, actually, about all of what's happened here. the depth of capacity for caring, for helping, in this town, is even greater than i thought. >> reporter: you can take away a town's center but not its heart. they hope to open by next summer. john berman, abc news, new york. >> very appropriate that chain link fence outside the store, that sign representing the phoenix rising from the ashes. twice, though. may 2008, november 2009. crazy they would have the same kind of incident twice. nice they rebuilt and found that perseverance.

>> they have a website in case you're interested in donating. putneygeneralstore.org. i logged on, it's cool because they tell you how the process of matched grants helped them raise all the money they've raised so far.

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stop fighting with your sleep. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a co-pay as low as zero dollars at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. "unstoppable" did great at the box office this weekend. >> for good reason. i enjoyed this one. i've been pretty critical the last 18,000 movies. the plot is not difficult. denzel washington. the grizzled veteran of the industry. coming on board here for his first couple of days. a freight train gets loose in pennsylvania carrying these flammable chemicals and all

this. a huge panic in pennsylvania. sets off this incredible chain of events where they have to literally stop this train before it causes what could be catastrophic damage. the company tries a few things to stop it too. including one method called a derail, throwing the train off the tracks before it got to the populated area. take a look. >> they wouldn't use it if they're wrong, all right? >> they're wrong. >> are you in or are you out? >> you want to get yourself killed, you do it alone. wait. if you're right and that derailer fails what are the odds it makes it to stanton? >> you saw the train, what do you think? >> great movie here. 4 kernels from me. dwritty acting. some folks have compared this to "speed." not all the same special effects, gritty fun, gritty acting, entertaining. based on real events so it makes it that much more exciting. really a fun time at the movies, it was good. >> that's good to hear it delivered. >> oh, yeah. i was overdue.

>> mine was based about our lives. >> yes. >> all about morning news. after losing her job at a local tv station, rachel mcadams decides to apply for a job at a network show and becomes the ep at a morning show that is dead last place. she's full of ambition, always got letter blackberry, always watching 24-hour news. she happens to have two anchors who loathe each other. >> excuse me. who's going to say good-bye? >> oh. uh -- doesn't really matter. mike, you don't mind -- >> who do you think the public would rather hear from last? someone who's won every broadcast award on the face of the planet? or the former miss pacoima? >> it's arizona! in case you're interested! i was miss arizona! >> there is some really funny dialogue in this. who doesn't love diane key ton and harrison ford, and rachel mcadams who is excellent. i'm going to give this movie 3

kernels. i wanted to give it 2 because as someone in the industry i thought it wasn't really fact-based. but my husband really laked it,

tax fight. the pending battle on capitol hill as members of congress return to work today. the president's preparations. midwest mystery. a teen found alive and a search for her family members who disappeared last week. and, finally freed. the british sailors held captive for months by pirates. it's monday, november 15th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> it's hard to believe that they were in basically captivity for about a year. by pirates. it was one of those stories we heard so much about, then a year

later we had almost forgotten about them to some extent. >> it's odd in 2010 to hear the word pirates in the news. i think it's strange to a lot of people. luckily that couple back on safe ground today. >> definitely much skinnier but definitely very happy. good morning and welcome to monday. i'm vinita nair. >> i'm rob nelson. the president is back in the white house this morning after his ten-day tour of asia. >> now the president faces a renewed battle over tax cuts with republicans still riding the wave of victory from midterm elections. here's david kerley. >> reporter: he doesn't do it often but returning from this ten-day trip to asia, the president came to the back of air force one to talk to reporters. and he was a bit reflective about what happened on election day. he had some time to think about it and this is what he told reporters. >> in that obsessive focus on policy, i neglected some things that matter a lot to people, and rightly so. >> reporter: returning with disappointing results negotiating with asian allies,

the president must now negotiate with a lame duck congress on those expiring tax cuts. >> i don't think there's any room to negotiate on raising taxes, particularly on smaller businesses. i hope we can get a permanent extension. >> reporter: even though the president has long called for letting the tax cuts for the rich expire, there are signs that the white house may give in to republican demands and agree, at least to a temporary extension for the rich. or -- >> what if we moved it up to $1 million? everyone below $1 million will get a tax cut but millionaires and billionaires won't. >> reporter: it's not just tax cuts facing the lame duck session. there are calls to ban earmarks, budget items directed to members' districts. lifting the military's don't ask, don't tell policy for gay service members. and a vote on a strategic missile deal with russia. the president was asked what he'll tell republican leaders at their meeting later this week. he says he'll remind them campaigning is different from governing and the american public did not give the republicans a mandate for gridlock. david kerley, abc news, the white house.

the ethics trial of new york congressman charlie rangel is set to begin today in the house. the former ways and means committee chairman is charged with 13 violations. rangel does not have an attorney and is actually expected to present his own defense. speaking to the full house earlier this year, rangel acknowledged making mistakes but said his actions were never corrupt. a luxury lounge at a sprawling hotel in mexico is now a pile of twisted metal and concrete. >> a powerful explosion stunned vacationers yesterday, killing seven people, mostly canadian tourists. it all may have been caused by a buildup of natural gas. ctv is in playa del carmen. good morning, omar. >> reporter: rob and vinita, good morning. the force of this blast was so strong, so powerful, it sent debris flying onto the front lawn of this luxury hotel which is popular with north american travelers. several were there for a wedding and eyewitnesses say many of them had sat down for breakfast

about 9:30 when all of a sudden they heard a large boom. at least one eyewitness says he thought that it was a terrorist attack. >> everyone shared the same fear. you know, the fear is, was this deliberate? so when we started hearing that it was an accident, everyone was quickly latching on to that as a means of comfort. >> reporter: mexican officials believe it's likely a natural gas explosion. what they say is that there's a swamp close to this hotel, that the swamp emits natural gas, and that somehow this gas collected under the floor of the hotel lobby and then ignited. >> it was always -- kind of a pungent smell, smelled a little bit like sulfur, rotten eggs, whatever, in the air, in and around the kitchen area. >> reporter: certainly big questions they now have to ponder. several people have been killed. many others have been injured in what has been described as a very terrifying and horrific ordeal. rob, vinita, back to you. >> all right, omar, thank you. in other news, police in southern california are

searching for a driver who they say played an essential role in a deadly crash. four motorcyclists and a passenger in a car were killed saturday when a car ran head-on into the cyclists. the driver of that car was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence. he says he was forced off the road by another car before plowing into the cyclists. it's the driver of that other car who police now want to find. now to the mysterious disappearance of a family not far from columbus, ohio. one victim, a teenage girl, has now been found alive. tied up in a basement. a man has been charged with her kidnapping. but the rest of the family from the small town of mt. vernon remains missing. chick sivertsen reports on this troubling case. >> reporter: in this house, ten miles from where four people disappeared, police rescued one of them. 13-year-old sarah maynard was in the basement, bound and gagged. >> she was being held against her will. she is in good condition. she was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

>> reporter: and they arrested a suspect, 30-year-old matthew hoffman. >> matthew is charged with one count of kidnapping. additional charges are expected to be filed. >> reporter: police aren't sure how hoffman is connected to the missing people. neighbors were stunned. >> seen all kind of sheriff cars just started pulling up. s.w.a.t. team came, then the blast i heard, they blasted the door and went in. >> we did not want to give him time to cause any harm to her. so we did use a tactical team. >> reporter: the fate of sarah's mother, tina, brother kody, and family friend stephanie sprang is unknown. the four disappeared last week from this home where police found an unusual amount of blood. tina's friend stephanie's car was parked in the garage, and late thursday night, tina's empty truck was found on the outskirts of kenyon college. search parties fanned out on foot and planes looked from the skies.

despite the good news, the mystery of three others missing has yet to be solved. chuck sivertsen, abc news. turning overseas now, where pro-democracy leader aung san suu kyi is speaking out against the regressive government of myanmar. the nobel peace prize winner was freed from seven years of house arrest over the weekend. now she's calling for freedom of speech and urging supporters to make their voices heard. president obama calls a new ban on israeli housing in the west bank an important step toward mideast peace. the three-month freeze on construction applies to most areas of the palestinian territories of the west bank but not east jerusalem. mideast leaders want to give palestinians and israelis three months to shape borders of side by side states. in saudi arabia the largest annual muslim pilgrimage is under way. the hajj is a four-day event that attracts about 2.5 million people every year. it's a chance for pilgrims to seek forgiveness for their sins and meditate on their faith. something new this year, an

11-mile light rail line is helping everyone move around. the u.n. is out with some stunning numbers about the current cholera crisis in haiti. it says up to 200,000 haitians could contract cholera before the situation in that country improves. the most recent estimate is more than 900 people have already died in the outbreak, and more than 14,000 have been hospitalized because of the illness. we are getting a new and fascinating look at the impact of recession on american children this morning. the largest to date study on recession shows 15 million children were living in poverty in the u.s. last year. compared to 13 million in 2007. the research just released from the university of pittsburgh shows one in five american kids is living in poverty. sports news now, the cowboys/giants game went a little longer than usual because of two brief power outages in the third quarter. maybe the giants' fans were responsible, though, because their team was getting crushed. the cowboys got a first win for interim head coach jason garrett. qb jon kitna threw three

touchdown passes in the 33-20 win. if only our buddy willis was here this morning to hear all about a rabid giants fan, losing to what was a 1-7 team, ouch. >> you know i'm happy about the cowboys. >> i know you are. hearse a look at your monday forecast. rainy from houston to the carolinas. showers around dallas and oklahoma city. rain with up to half a foot of snow. snow in the cass dads and showers in the pacific northwest. >> 55 in seattle. 46 in billings. 50 in albuquerque. 39 in minneapolis. 55 in kansas city. 53 in chicago. 50s from boston to baltimore. sunny and 80 in miami. it takes a lot to steal the spotlight in vegas. but some mid-air dips and flips apparently did the job. >> thousands of people were captivated over the weekend by aviation nation, one of the biggest air shows in the country. the air force's famous thunderbirds headlined the event with a mesmerizing demonstration of aerial prowess.

>> it wasn't confined to the sky either. more than 100 airplanes were on display. everyone was invited to climb into the cockpit and check them out. kids getting a chance to do that, it's so cool. >> i've been in one of those, real cool. we'll be right back. if you fight to sleep in the middle of the night, why go one more round ?

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♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] every day thousands of people are switching from tylenol® to advil. to learn more and get your special offer, go to takeadvil.com. take action. take advil®. overseas now to africa where a retired couple is free this morning after being held hostage by pirates for more than a year. >> while the journey home now begins, so does the story of just how they were released after 389 days. the bbc's andrew harding reports. >> reporter: in safe hands at last. and no pirates in sight. the chandlers arriving early this morning to a small town in central somalia.

not out of danger. a medical checkup for rachel. frail but remarkably composed. that goes for both of them. >> well, we're fine. we're rather skinny and bony. but we're fine. >> reporter: the journey home has complications. the chandlers' small rescue plane was diverted to somalia's notorious capital. out of the frying pan, into mogadishu. we're now in convoy with the chandlers. we went to the mogadishu airport. we're now heading into the city, the presidential palace, for a meeting there. it is frankly a very dangerous road, very risky, and very unnecessary for the chandlers who simply want to get out of somalia as quickly as possible.

bullet scars. two decades' worth of rubble. but the exhausted chandlers comply graciously with the formalities demanded by somalia's besieged government. >> happy to be here. desperate to see our family and friends. >> reporter: hi, andrew harding from the bbc. >> pleased to meet you. >> reporter: you must be very tired. >> we are indeed. >> reporter: take a few moments of your time. when rescue finally came for you, what was your reaction? >> a jumble of feelings, really. almost it was too good to be true. >> reporter: what was the worst time during these last 13 months? >> we refused to be separated and we were beaten as a result. and that was very traumatic.

>> reporter: with that, it's back on what chandler jokingly called the airport bus. the guns quiet. wielding a camera and a smile, they could almost be tourists. giddy with freedom. but they're quick to get back on their plane, knowing this really is the last leg. good-bye to somalia, to its pirates, and to the many here who have helped the chandlers to find safety. andrew harding, bbc news, mogadishu. >> it's frightening, this is a lot less isolated than people think. these pirates have captured more than 20 ships and have more than 500 hostages. these are just two. >> it says so much also, it was friends and family who raised that $430,000. >> exactly. when we return, jessica simpson and the big ring on her finger. and the former president now appearing in the "hangover" sequel. that and more in "the skinny."

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welcome back, everybody.

good news to share about jessica simpson this morning. she is back in love, the ring's on the finger, she's getting engaged, and she's all very happy. good news that came out. "people" magazine is reporting jessica simpson is going to marry her nfl free agent boyfriend and now fiance, eric johnson. he is 31, she is 30. they've been together since may. strikes me as a quick engagement. some people questioning the timing saying, a few days ago her ex-husband, nick lachey and his new girlfriend of several years, they announced they were getting engaged. two days later, bam, jessica and her man come out saying they're going to tie the knot as well. seems like a good guy. 6'3". went to yale. been an athlete since he was young. played for the saints, the 49ers. now he and jessica will be husband and wife. >> the other interesting detail to me on this one is that in addition to only being together five months, jessica and him, he's also very recently divorced. >> oh. you're thinking rebound? >> i don't know.

have a necessary sa did just get engaged to her ex-husband so that has to sting. i hope the best for jessica but it does seem a bit early. >> i hope the best for her. she's a sweetheart. i hope. from your home state. >> we said this before we went to break, a former president is going to be on "the hangover 2." >> i love it. >> multiple sources are reporting bill clinton taped a cameo. so get this, he's giving a speech in thailand. if you followed him at all this past couple of weeks, he was giving a speech on clean energy. in addition to tmz and "people," they're reporting clinton will play himself in "the hangover 2." they say he was in the city to deliver that speech and they found out he was on the set, extra security was added for his presence, no one's saying what is the character though. >> i think it's very cool. you know, in addition to all his humanitarian works. lighten up a little bit and get into "the hangover." that's kind of cool, a former president in your movie. >> there's speculation, could he have just been hanging out? some people are saying maybe it's not a cameo. like i said, others are saying, no, it's a

cameo. there was a scene with a rickshaw, they're saying he might have been in that scene. >> we will see. >> yeah. >> that's going to be a fun combo. of course we remember the woman rachel uchitel, the first of tiger's mistresses to come out there, the first one in his downward spiral in his scandal. believe it or not it was last thanksgiving, the car accident. almost a year since all that broke. it's kind of crazy. she's giving her first interview since this all broke. she spoke to "the mail" sunday from her oceanfront balcony in malibu. "people have called me all sorts of names but they don't know me. i'm not the same as the other girls. i never, ever imagined in my wildest dreams i would be caught up in a scandal like this. if things had been different and 9/11 had never happened my life would have taken a different course. i'd be fat and happy living in a big house in long island with a load of kids. i'm only telling my story now so people can discover what sort of girl i am and learn the truth about me." so her first interview in this set. she's speaking out. i never meant to hurt anybody, my life so is different because of 9/11 when her fiance was killed. addicted to pills, addicted to

love as well. >> we only have ten seconds. this is the new official duet from michael jackson with akon. ♪ n honking. a short time ago, this woman suffered from

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here are some stories to watch today on abc news. heart specialists meeting in chicago today released new recommendations on salt consumption. they say if teens cut salt intake by 3,000 milligrams a day they could significantly cut risks of heart problems as adults. retail sales figures from last month are released today, it's an important gauge of the economy. facebook's new e-mail program could be unveiled today. analysts predict the web mail service could pose a threat to google's gmail. a wonderful homecoming tale sure to make your heart dance. >> earlier this month the american ballet theater gives its first performance in cuba in decades. it is significant for many reasons.

>> for one dancer it meant the world. jim sciutto has more from havana. >> reporter: the american ballet's performance was its first in cuba in 50 years. but for one dancer it was something even more. >> it feels really, really like a homecoming. heartwarming and inspiring. >> reporter: she fled cuba for the u.s. 18 years ago with her family. back when a trip to america was almost always a one-way journey. but then president obama ended the bush-era ban on cuban-americans visiting relatives last year. flights like hers now fly several times a day. with even more planned. still, few passengers get a welcome like this from loyal fans, old friends and family left behind. and young dancers at her old school looking to follow in her dancesteps. >> they are very proud. >> they very proud.

as i am proud of them. >> reporter: this is part of a wider cultural opening. jazz musician winston marsalis performed here. and a cuban musician was allowed to attend the grammy awards. this is the same hall where the cuban-american soldiers captured in the 1961 bay of pigs invasion were held. now it has americans dancing ballet. you can call it ballet diplomacy. as opening night approached, the new openness gave way to old-fashioned nerves. >> because it's so personal, you just want it to be perfect. >> reporter: and perfect it was. for the company and for one young cuban coming home. jim sciutto, abc news, havana. >> wow. >> it really is amazing to see so much openness to cuba, where for so long we hadn't seen any until president obama lifted the interactions. >> a long-awaited change in relation to that country. did you ever have ballerina dreams as a young girl, vinita? >> probably too tall and too heavy. no dreams for me. >> get out of here. i do not believe that. it was good to see them in

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>> love it. >> that's all. >> we have to have it.

>> we will have some. good morning, everybody, i'm rob nelson. >> i'm vinita nair. we begin with the latest developments in a disturbing case from ohio. a young kidnap victim has been case from ohio. a young kidnap victim has been found alive. three others still remain missing. >> police in the small town of mt. vernon hope a man already under arrest will provide some answers. with more now, here's linsey davis. >> reporter: 13-year-old sarah maynard is alive. a s.w.a.t. team found her bound and gagged i iide the basement of this home near columbus, ohio. >> that is good news. it's scary because i live right there. >> reporter: police say this man, 30-year-old matthew hoffman, was taken into custody and charged with kidnapping. >> my friend dated him. she just broke up with him two weeks ago. he had choked her. she had marks on her where he had choked her. >> reporter: police say they don't know how hoffman is connected with the family. but his mother lives within walking distance of their house. sarah was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

the rest of her family is still missing. >> we were hopopul we would find more than one. but our information was definitely that it was most likely sarah was going to be in that house. >> reporter: no one has heard from her 11-year-old brother kody, her mother tina herrmann, or family friend stephanie sprang, for several days. wednesday afternoon tina didn't show up for work at dairy queen. thursday, both her children were absent from school. tina didn't show up at work again. her manager went to tina's house. inside, he found beer cans a a blood. then called police. investigators believe hoffman is the key to finding the others. linsey davis, abc news, new w york. seven people are dead after a powerful explosion at a popular mexican resort. investigators say a buildup of natural gas from a nearby swamp may have caused the blast. the force sent the floor through the ceiling and blew out windows in nearby restaurants. the victims were two mexican workers and five canadian tourists including a father and his 9-year-old son.

a retired couple is free after being held hostage for more than a year by pirates. paul and rachel chandler were kidnapped last october off the somali coast on a six-month sailing vacation. that started 388 days as prisoners. when they were released they said they were thin and tired but otherwise okay. >> so happy to see everyday people. people from everywhere in the world who are in the criminals. because we've lived a year with criminals. >> reporter: friends and relatives of the chandlers reportedly raised more than $400,000 for their release. they said that despite being scared at times they never really thought their lives were actually in danger. the president is back in washington after his ten-day trip to asia. but there is no rest for the weary. now mr. obama faces a republican challenge over tax cuts. david kerley reports from the white house.

>> reporter: a more reflective president returned to washington, admitting on air force one that his concentration on policy issues led to his shellacking in the midterms. >> in that obsessive focus on politics, i neglected some things that matter a lot to people, and rightly so. >> reporter: returning with disappointing results negotiating with asian allies, the president must now negotiate with a lame duck congress on those expiring tax cuts. >> i don't think there's any room to negotiate on raising taxes, particularly on smaller businesses. i hope we can get a permanent extension. >> reporter: even though the president has long called for letting the tax x ts for the rich expire -- >> we can't afford to borrow another $700 billion to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. >> reporter: there are signs that the white house may give in to republican demands and agree, at least to a temporary extension for the rich or -- >> what if we moved it up to $1 million? everyone below $1 million will get a tax cut but millionaires

and billionaires won't. >> reporter: it's not just tax cuts facing the lame duck session. there are calls to ban earmarks, budget items directed to members' districts. lifting the military's don't service members.policy for gay and a vote on a strategic missile deal with russia. that was the subject of mr. obama's last meeting in asia with his russian counterpart. the past four days have been packed with meetings. little time for sightseeing. the president was asked what he will tell republican leaders at their meeting later this week. he says he'll remind the republicans that governing is different than campaigning and that the american public did not give republicans a mandate for gridlock. david kerley, abc news, the white house. it could be a major step toward mideast peace. president obama is praising governmeme leaders in israelelor moving forward. they've now imposed a three-month ban on building new israeli housing in palestinian areas of the west bank. the sensitive areas in east jerusalem, though, are not part of the construction freeze. the ban may give palestinian and

israeli leaders a chance to draw new borders of two states which lead to peace finally in that region. at least five people were killed after a militant attack on nato troops in eastern afghanistan. no nationalities have been released but the majority of those serving in the area are americans. this morning we have a rare look at what it is like to fight in one of afghanistan's most foreboding battle zones. here's mike boettcher. >> reporter: at 8,000 feet in afghanistan's eastern mountains the air is thin and so is cover from an enemy ambush. >> jingo down. jingo up. >> reporter: a small team of soldiers from the 101st famed rockesan brigade is hunting for taliban that attacked a u.s. convoy. led by their squadron commander, lieutenant colonel steve lutsky, the hunters become the hunted. the initial insurgent barrage momentarily pins down the u.s. unit on a barren mountainside. it pins us down, too.

fire from the tree line just over there. we're behind some cover but t much. the sergeant radios in the unit's position. one second later, a bullet misses his head. but shreds his antennnn they fire a heavy barrage into a grove of small trees where the taliban is concealed. that ends it. that is ended it. the soldiers returned without a casualty to combat outpost wilderness, a base that has seen more than its share of the tough end of this war. in late august, two soldiers were killed by an ied. 27 of their number have been wounded in action. most since mid-august. bravo troop's casualty rate approaches 50%, extraordinary number. what keeps you going? >> our guys. our family here. >> reporter: young soldiers turn to the elders of this war-time family, their sergeants.

>> kind of like being a parent all over again. they look at you, they look to you for everything you do. >> reporter: so in spite of their loss, or maybe because of it, the rockesans continue to hunt for the insurgents who hurt so many of their buddies. they do it for the family. a promise from the men still standing to those who have fallen. mike boettcher, abc news, combat a store in buffalo, new tan. york, never had customers like this before. several deer smashed through the windows of a wegman's supermarket yesterday morning. employees and customers sure got a scare but no one was hurt. the deer all eventually got t t the same way they got in. >> they didn't steal anything to eat, did they. >> should have. here's a look at your weather. rain and mountain snow in colorado, wyoming, montana, and the dakotas. snow in the cascades. showers in spokane and seattle. up to 3 inches of rain along the gulf coast drenching houston, new orleans and mobile. lighter into tennessee and the carolinas. >> meanwhile, 6262n atlanta. upper 50s in new york. mostly 50s from kansas city to detroit.

78 in sacramento. 55 in seattle. 50 in salt lake city. we all know the wallflower that is shaquille o'neal. he's a man of many talents. basketball player and all-around funny man among them. >> shaq added the serious task of toy shopper to his hefty resumeme the boston celtic lending a helping hand yesterday to, what else, toys for tots. >> everything he picked up will be distributed to children during the holiday season. something nice to kick off the spirit of the season in shaq style. apparently he was calling himself shaq-a-claus. >> look at the height difference between him and those little kids. that is a big dude. >> if you see a 7'1" man going from aisle to aisle, i think you probably just run in fear. take whatever toys you wanan they're all yours. he picked up something like $5,000 word of toys so it's great for kids. >> good for him. we'll be back with more after this.

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why go one more round ? you don't need a rematch, but a rethink. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembebeng it the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. stop fighting with your sleep. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you.

get lunesta for a co-pay as low as zero dollars at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. i was upset that willis is off this morning. gloating. >> a lot of gloating. the giants did lose last night. he's licking his wounds after the joins got destroyed by the cowboys unexpectedly last night. speaking of that, of course, it is time for our weekly nfl highlights. thank you, jim. >> great as always. well, we start with what is being called the futility bowl. the lions visiting the winless bills. winless they are no more. no, not after fred jackson rolled for 133 yards and two touchdowns. the bills, yes, the bills win it 14-12. it was detroit's 25th straight loss on the road.

that is a sad little nfl record. >> no kidding. moving on, titans were visiting miami who had not won a game at home all season. miami used three quarterbacks in the game, starting with chad pennington, lasted all of two plays, chad henne suffered knee injury. a third stringer finished the game. they still got the job done. dolphins pull one out, 29-17. >> texans and jaguars appeared to be going into overtime until jags qb dave garrard threw up a 50-yard prayer as the clock ran out. mike thomas caught it for a game-winning touchdown. thomas, the smallest player on the team, makes jacksonville's biggest play of the season. jacksonville wins 31-24. >> and finally, the new england patriots went to pittsburgh in a bad mood and they made the steelers pay for it. qb tom brady threw three touchdown passes and ran for another. the steelers fans went home early with good reason. final score last night, patriots pulled this one out 39-26. it really wasn't even that close.

>> i hope tom brady goes and gets a haircut. >> you don't like the shag. >> so where does all of this put us in our competition? >> not pretty this week. mercifully he's on vacation this morning. willis is still out front. get this, our own vinita -- >> whoo-hoo! >> now in sole possession of second place. she's been picking the home teams, second place. jack and i had a tough week. diane slowly making progress. the field is spreading out. >> by the numbers, willis stands at 17-7. home teams have me at 16-8. rob, you and jack, tough week is right. you guys are just a game ahead of diane now. >> that is so sad. whatever. more nfl notes. tonight on monday night football, eagles visit the redskins. great matchup there. 8:30 p.m. eastern time on espn. >> jets continue to play the role of road warriors. their 26-20 overtime win in cleveland was their eighth straight regular season win away from home.

it's like reading another language for me every single week. >> something to look forward to next sunday, a great nfl rivalry renewed. the 6-3 colts visit the now 7-2 patriots. >> that game will be among our games to pick for next week. you can find out the others on friday morning. >> i'm probably more upset that willis is in first place for the second week in a row. you picking home teams, you're in second. >> whoo-hoo! it goes to show you, gentlemen, you shouldn't gamble. >> no kidding, i'll turn it around. turning the big apple into the chocolate capital of the world. >> stay tuned, we've got a sweet treat for you. you're watching "world news now."

as journalists there are some assignments we wouldn't wish upon our worst enemies. but this story ain't one of

them. >> over the weekend we sent one of our intrepid young staffers, jace henderson, to check out the 13th annual new york chocolate show. and let us tell you -- >> thumbs up. >> it was a sweet assignment. >> mmm-mmm. >> the sfarks spook. >> this is the new york city chocolate show. >> this is the place to come to. because there are people who can teach you how to make chocolate, how to buy chocolate, how to use chocolate, how to o e chocolate, go to a demonstration and learn a lot of things. >> i have been emceeing and hosting the new york city chocolate show this year. one of the interesting things about the chocolate show is you're seeing artisans from around the world coming to the chocolate show in new york city, showcasing their chocolate. i think one of the things the chocolate show teaches everybody who comes here is not just to purchase the big bag of chocolate, just put it in your mouth. you really get to really appreciate how to eat chocolate, how to enjoy it, what are the percentages of chocolate you should eat. we've had a chocolate fashion show to start off the entire

event where we've actually had designers, clothing designers and chocolate artisans, come together to make clothing out of chocolate. >> here is my dress that my model wore. she has bugs and spiders and butterflies and flowers. she has this huge boa constricicr, albino boa, made out of rice crispies and chocolate. >> americans, as creative as we are, we're starting to make a lot of creative mixes of chocolate. this is something kids probably would absolutely love. if you love peanut butter and jelly, this is the way you eat a chocolate bon bon. that is good. you know what? it almost feels like chocolate goes with absolutely everything. the chocolate show is certainly proof of that. >> one of the ones that we do that's really unique, i think, is mexican mango. it was based on a way of eating fruit where you would take salt, lime, and heat, chili powder, and put that on the fruit. what we did is made a chocolate

that has a layer of milk chocolole ganache with lime and salt, a layer of mango, and the salt is sea salt infused with green chilies and habaneros. >> something unexpected at a chocolate show. i would never imagine they could create couture gowns out of chocolate. and these incredible trains. and just try some of the best chocolate you've ever had. i'm here at the chocolate show demonstrating how to make my fudgy, salty peanut butter brownies. this is my second year at the chocolate show, my first time doing a demo. last year i got to come as a guest, and i had so much fun. do a demo, teach people hue to make these amazing chocolate brownies. >> i think it's great. we're having a wonderful time. tears a lot of chocolate. the tastings are terrific. the fondue was very good too. >> the fondue, definitely. >> thank you, rob and vinita. and don't forget, chocolate is its own food group. >> very talented jace henderson

brought back a lot of different things to sample. i have two. i'll show you guys really quickly. this one is a chocolate peanut butter fudge brownie. this is something that you might have heard of but there's a good chance you've never seen a peanut butter and jelly truffle. which is what i'm holding up. a truffle or just a candy? it's a truffle, okay. you can see it. i cut it open on the top so you can see it. there's a little touch of jelly. >> you can see that. >> there's really cool flavors. >> oh, yeah. this is the apple pie. this is the apple-tini. this one right here. there are a few other good ones here. you had the jalapeno in it right here with the spicy chocolate kick. what are some other ones down here? anything really good? >> i think you covered them. >> covered the highlights here. >> the cool thing is this show was founded in '97. so you can see they've really branched out. you're always hearing about certain flavor profiles like fondue or spiciness in chocolate. it's cool to see a show that just celebrates chocolate. >> this is actually fondue to go right here. do you want to dip your

strawberry? you like chocolate-covered strawberries? >> you know i'm not very clingy. i'll try this brownie.

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"world news now" delivers your "morning papers." >> you know, they say children given sugar, it's like a.d.d., they can't focus. it's happening right now on the set. >> man. so if you've ever watched one of those shows with animals, i've often thought, what happens when they sedate an imal if the sedation process is not successful? well, this is it. it involves a hippo and a vet. take a look at what's happening. this guy had just put a sedative on a 3 1/2 ton hippo when it awoke and lunged towards him. they say the vet was hurled into the water. it was inches from that huge hippo's teeth. which by the way, a hippo, it's possible to snap a

ten-foot crocodile in half. it gives you an idea how strong the teeth are. they say with seconds to spare one of his colleagues pulled him to safety. nothing was happening. the guy was not hurt. but -- >> lucky dude. >> they're saying they think the water is what might have woken him up. so in the future, there is a lesson here, should you sedate a hippo, put a muzzle on it. >> my mom told me the same thing. very good advice there. living here in new york, we all take the subways pretty regularly here. you hear voices in the subway about, please step away from the platform. the next train is this or that. a cool feature in the "new york times," did a feature on cowan hopkins who's been the voice of subways and airports for the last 15 years. she's the voice we hear as wear traveling. not only does she do airports, she's on subway systems in chicago, washington, paris, hotels in beirut, lebanon, china, korea. all over the place. get this. she's never actually herself been on a subway since 1957. take a listen. >> local train 2.

ladies and gentlemen, the next brooklyn-bound local train is now arriving. please step away from the platform edge. >> a very familiar voice to probably many folks in major cities around the country airports and around the world. she herself has not been on a subway since 1957. >> that's why she doesn't sound irritated when she announces that. had she been on a subway any time recently she'd be like, your ride is going to be here in three minutes, good luck. >> making that money. >> another sort of lesson. first we're telling you don't sedate a hippo and stick your hands in front of it. here's one. don't rob a store and have a vanity plate on your getaway car with your name on it. >> moron. >> it gets even worse. this woman basically walks into a rite-aid. she pretends she has a gun. it was never a gun but you can see she's covered, there's no problem. someone in the parking lot recognizes the getaway car, calls police, and says the car has b-usher on its license plate. and there's bonnie usher. 43 years old. that's a mock-up of the plate we did.

not the smartest thing to do in terms of a getaway car. might as well put your address on a bumper sticker.